Pre-LSAT Caffeine Intake Forum

[GentlemanJim]

Taking it on Saturday. I am a pretty heavy caffeine drinker - usually one to two (large) cups a day, maybe a coke thrown in there at some point. For any other fellow addicts, what was intake pre-test? I'm trying to strategize here, and any suggestions would be appreciated.

[DukeHopeful]

5 hour energy to get up at 530, another while the proctor was reading instructions.

[GentlemanJim]

Whoa, good call there. That might be the ticket.

[Kilpatrick]

I would say try to stick with whatever your normal routine is. I woke up early so I could have my coffee before I left the house.

[RMstratosphere]

Coffee with breakfast.
Red Bull during LSAT break.

[DukeHopeful]

Be careful though, because coffee is a diuretic, meaning it makes you have to pee excessively. Not exactly what you want in a 5 hour exam with just a 15 min break. That's why I really like the 5 hours, they're only 2 ounces so they're negligible on your bladder. Of course, I swear by them and buy them by the case at Sam's Club, so I admit I'm biased. I only drink coffee during hunting season.

[GentlemanJim]

Exactly. That's what I'm concerned about. That and my regularly scheduled 10:00 am newspaper break. Ahem.

[GentlemanJim]

I think it's gonna be small coffee -> 5 hour energy at break.

[AngryAvocado]

Exactly. That's what I'm concerned about. That and my regularly scheduled 10:00 am newspaper break. Ahem.

Adult diapers FTW!

--ImageRemoved--

[DukeHopeful]

Is that Al Franken? If he can become a US Senator with pictures like that on the internet, I'm not worried about anything in my past preventing me from doing what I want to.

[GentlemanJim]

You know, they say he was SNL's resident coke dealer.

[bceagles182]

5 hour energy to wake up early. Don't drink too much of anything before the exam or you'll have to pee (happened to me in section 5). I sucked it up and then went during the writing sample.

[14yearplan]

GJ,

I drink a little more coffee on average than you, and I worried about the same problems. For me, I drink a good 2-3 large cups of coffee every morning. On test day, I woke up, had 2 cups of coffee with breakfast and then drank a 5-hour energy right before I drove to the site (which is about 60-75 minutes away). I figured it was better to let my system adjust rather than take something that I usually do not (5 hour energy) either right before the test, or during the break. I also made sure to go to the bathroom right before entering the room for the test, and at the last minute (both at the start and at the break). I don't recommend taking a 5 hour energy at break for the same reason I took it an hour before leaving. For me, the coffee and the 5 hour energy provided me plenty to last the entire test, and I had no problems with having to go to the bathroom during the test.

Just wanted to share my experience as I did have the same worry--and my game plan worked great for me. Everyone is different, of course, but please don't allow what you drink and when to drink it distract you from your main goal. Best of luck and just relax--all will be fine.

[autarkh]

Have espresso. Quarter or less of the volume, equal or greater caffeine. Also, it tastes way better than 5-hour energy or Red Bull.

I had 4 shots before the test and 4 shots at the break.

The diuretic effects of coffee are way exaggerated. If you're an addict, your system adapts.

[agreeableobjections]

FYI: I'm a super heavy caffeine addict and was worried about having to pee in the middle of the test. So the week before the test I timed how long it took from end of caffeine consumption til massive urge to pee. It was about 90 mins. I think it's worth running a few "simulation" days though. Where you wake up, drink your caffiene, do a preptest, and see how it goes.

[Xizenta]

I simply took caffeine pills with me. You can get them at your local supermarket next to the tylenol PM. This way I could get 200mg of caffeine with very little water to minimize my chances of needing a restroom break. During the break between 3rd and 4th sections, I took another half pill (100mg.)

Worked out perfect.

[GentlemanJim]

I really like that idea, but I've never taken caffeine pills before and I'm kind of hesitant to start tomorrow.

[Scrutinizer]

I'm debilitatingly addicted to caffeine (i.e. I've gone one day in the past 15 years without caffeine and I thought I was going to die). I tried to use it to my advantage when I wrote the LSAT. I actually held off on caffeine consumption before I got to the centre (getting there was difficult, as I can barely think without my first cup of coffee). Then, just before I went in I slammed back a big iced coffee. I find that immediately following my first caffeine intake of the day I'm really on the ball. I think very lucidly, am confident, and generally feel groovy. This effect is exaggerated if I've been up for a few hours without any caffeine. So, my strategy was to try and use this caffeine rush to my advantage. Whether or not it helped at all, I don't know. But I did fairly well on the test, and didn't need to pee in the middle of section two.

[cubswin]

Brew your coffee in the morning stronger than usual so you can drink less of it and don't have to worry as much about peeing. I drank probably 12 oz of coffee with breakfast, and brought a Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso can for the break. I got RC for my 4th section and rocked it.